Frank Binder
Born: August 2nd, 1887
Died: March 7th, 1891
Obituary
Frank Binder, the three-year-old child of Mr. and Mrs. Binder of Sunnyside avenue, died yesterday. About two weeks ago the child swallowed a bean, which went down its windpipe and stuck fast. The child lived in great agony for breath, with recurring paroxysms each one of which threatened to end fatal, until yesterday it was determined that a surgical operation to remove the bean should be attempted. It was a particularly dangerous alternative but was the Boy’s only chance for life, and the physicians expected the worst, which happened.
A couple of days later, this was in the newspaper:
The report that the Binder child who got a grain of corn stuck in its windpipe died from the effects of the operation performed for its removal is incorrect. The child died for the reason that the parents objected to the operation that might have saved the child’s life, and the only operation performed was a post mortem one which disclosed the fact that although the corn had been in the child’s throat sixteen days, it had not been softened nor broken down in the least by the action of the mucous. In nine cases out of ten, an operation would have saved the child’s life, and parents should not let their fears stand in the way of adopting those measures which science and experience have proven reliably effective.